Lesser Yellowlegs and Stilt Sandpiper
Shorebirds can be especially tough to ID! Here are two species that are easily confused, especially when they’re in nonbreeding plumage: Lesser Yellowlegs and Stilt Sandpiper. These birds are much easier to differentiate by their behaviors than their appearance, but there are still visual cues to look for. Check out the keys to ID below, then test your shorebird skills with Bird Academy’s Snap ID tool and become more familiar with these similar-looking shorebirds.
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Stilt Sandpiper | |
| Bill | Shorter, slimmer, straight bill. | Longer, thicker bill that droops slightly |
| Tail | White rump and mostly white tail (visible in flight) | White rump and mostly gray tail (visible in flight) |
| Legs | Bright yellow | Duller, greenish yellow |
Lighting and perspective can sometimes make spotting these visual cues challenging. See if you can identify them in the quiz below. Each time you hit “Play Again,” you’ll have new photo matchups to practice on. You can replay the quiz as many times as you want. Just click “Start Snap ID Challenge” to get started!
Test Your Shorebird ID Skills
Interested in going further with the rewarding and exciting realm of shorebird identification? Check out our self-paced, online course Be a Better Birder: Shorebird Identification to learn keys to ID for the 47 shorebird species that regularly appear in the continental U.S. and Canada. Be sure to download and print the free Shorebird ID pocket guide to ID shorebirds on the go!